Page 9 of Free to Believe
“Hmm,” I respond absentmindedly as I sketch the disturbed features I’ve seen directed at me all too often. I use the charcoal to ruthlessly erase him from my memory. Getting him permanently out of my life can’t happen soon enough.
The rollers of the studio door creak as Bryan’s blathering on about how he’s made a new friend who’s a vet who can take care of my little problem. Corinna enters, her mouth agape. Her eyes turn the dark chocolate color that indicates her temper’s about to fly, but I shake my head. I don’t want her to blast him; I want that pleasure all for myself. Holding up my finger to my lips, I silence my little sister. “That’s extremely…educational, Bryan. But no, I think I’ll keep my dog.”
“You’ll regret that decision, Emily,” he warns me. Like I’m a schoolgirl instead of a thirty-three-year-old woman who has lived through more horror than he’s ever seen in his operating room.
“I highly doubt that. As I was saying, we need to talk. It won’t be tonight. Do you have a better time?” I’m firm in not attending the fundraiser with my soon-to-be-ex fiancé.
“You can make an appointment with my secretary,” he tells me right before he hangs up. And Corinna explodes.
“Holy shit, Em. If the great Dr. Bryan Moser talks to you like that regularly and you don’t end the engagement, I swear to God, I’m having one of the guys from Colby’s team kidnap you until you realize what a real man is like. He talked to me like that once,once, and I almost found a new doctor,” Corinna snaps as she stalks forward. Corinna’s recent medical issues actually led to my introduction to Bryan.
I hold up the hand still not wearing the ring. “Please, give me some credit, Cori. I just wanted to see how far he’d go. Isn’t it a bit uncouth to end an engagement over the phone?”
Cori stops so suddenly her sneakers catch on the hardwood floors causing a loudscreechin the room. “Uncouth?” She snickers. “Well, sorry about the lecture, then. You know that was really for Dr. Douchebag.”
I’m amused despite myself. “Is the nickname new or something you all have been calling Bryan behind my back?”
Corinna sits at the end of the chaise I’ve been relaxing on. “He’s always had his moments where he’s exhibited prima donna behavior. Then again, what doctor doesn’t?”
Silently, I agree with her. “When did the rest of the family start calling him that?”
“About a week after you got engaged to him,” she admits cheerfully, her spectacular eyes turning back to their normal golden color as she relaxes. “Hand me your wine.”
After she takes the extended glass and swallows, I ask, “And you didn’t feel it was your place to say anything?”
She shakes her head as she hands me the glass back. “Not until today when we talked it out in Ali’s office. I realized part of the reason you were dithering back and forth was because you feel some sort of debt to him because of me.”
Nailed it.“It’s hard not to, Cori. He did save your life.”
“Something a number of doctors could have done if I had spoken up to the family about my medical condition before it reached a critical point, Em. Bryan was my doctor. Sure, he’s brilliant at what he does, but it wasn’t like he was the one person on the planet who had a compatible organ and he donated it. Stop feeling indebted to him for saving my life. There’s only one person I credit with that.”
“Who’s that?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“Colby. He saved my heart. Without that, I really didn’t have a life worth fighting for. Is that the kind of love you have with Bryan?”
I let out the giggle-snort I’ve been suppressing anytime someone used the words “Bryan” and “love” in the same sentence over the last three months since I said yes to what must have been the coldest engagement proposal ever.
“What’s so funny, Em?” Corinna’s confusion is written all over her face.
“You’re assuming I love Bryan.” I’m outright laughing at this point. It feels so good to admit this to someone and not feel the weight of guilt along with it.
“You don’t?” I shake my head. “Then why did you say yes?” she demands.
“Too many reasons, but none of them are love.” I shrug. “Obviously I made an error. Now, I’m just trying to figure out how to get out of it as best as I can.”
“Want my advice?” Corinna offers as she stands.
“Sure.”
“The man may be a genius when it comes to being a doctor, and he can hold a social mask long enough to not be a dick with his patients, most of the time. But eventually, masks crumble. And a man with his ego isn’t going to take well to having it squashed. Break the engagement in a public place. Better yet, take one of us with you.” Her voice is concerned.
Slowly her words penetrate. “You think he’s capable of…”
She holds up her hands. “I don’t know. I’ve just been in the kitchen working while going over all the times he’s acted like an asshole while I was his patient. It occurred to me every time he was more than your average dick—like around the time I thought of canceling my surgery—was because I challenged his ego. I don’t want to be right, but I’d hate worse if I’m wrong.”
What’s tragic is when I add Corinna’s words with the man who wanted me to put my dog down because he’s become burdensome, I’m coming up with an answer that causes my stomach to churn. Covering my response with my typical calmness, I take a sip of wine before putting the glass down. “Okay. I’ll figure out when I can head down to his place. I’m pretty sure I have a few things I left the last time I stayed there.”
“Good.” Corinna stands and begins to make her way toward the open door. Pausing, she turns around to ask, “When was the last time you did that anyway?”
